Geranium plant named ‘Duevalent’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Duevalent’, characterized by its upright and rounded plant habit; freely flowering habit; and red purple-colored flowers held above the foliage on upright peduncles.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar ‘Duevalent’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duevalent’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Zonal Geraniums with attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor of two unidentified proprietary selections of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. The cultivar ‘Duevalent’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany has shown that the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duevalent’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duevalent’ as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Zonal Geranium cultivars:

1. Upright and rounded plant habit.

2. Freely flowering habit.

3. Red purple-colored flowers held above the foliage on upright peduncles.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in flower color.

The new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar ‘Disco’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,930. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Disco’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium were larger than plants of the cultivar ‘Disco’.

2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had smaller and darker green leaves than plants of the cultivar ‘Disco’.

3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger umbels with more flowers per umbel than plants of the cultivar ‘Disco’.

4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar ‘Disco’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower and foliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duevalent’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar ‘Duevalent’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the spring under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles. Plants were grown in a 12-cm container. Plants were about eight weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar ‘Duevalent’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Unidentified selection of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.

Male parent.—Unidentified selection of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C. Winter: About 7 days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 20° C. Winter: About 28 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright and rounded plant habit; densely foliated.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Basal branching, about three lateral branches.

Plant height.—About 20 cm.

Plant width.—About 23 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 5 cm. Internode length: About 9 mm. Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About six. Length: About 5.6 cm. Width: About 7.1 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate. Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137B; slight marginal zonation pattern, about 1.2 cm in width and 137A in color. Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 138B. Venation: Upper surface: 138B. Lower surface: 139D. Petiole: Length: About 6.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement.—Red purple-colored flowers arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the foliage on upright peduncles. Flowers rounded in form. Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower, plants have about eight open and developing umbels with about 25 to 30 flowers per umbel.

Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring until the autumn.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two weeks on the plant.

Umbel size.—Height: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 11 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 4 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 57A.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five to seven. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 57A; becoming 74A with subsequent development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 57A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 57A.

Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About one to three. Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 57A; becoming 74A with subsequent development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 57A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 57A.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Elongated, tapering. Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 12.5 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A overlain with 59B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower: About five to seven. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: 71A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 25A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 9.5 mm. Stigma shape: Five-parted, star-shaped. Stigma color: 53B. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: 53B. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal Geraniums. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Duevalent’, as herein illustrated and described. 